MP | Explore Careers - National Careers Service

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How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job by being elected by voters in the constituency you wish to represent.

Volunteering

Most people show their commitment through campaigning and volunteering for their party.

You could also:

• serve as a local councillor
• be active in a trade union
• get involved in student politics
• work as a researcher or caseworker for an existing MP

Contact your local councillors or your student office to ask about opportunities to volunteer with them.

Other Routes

To become an MP, you have to be elected in a byelection or general election. You can stand for election as a member of a political party or as an independent candidate.

Each political party has its own selection procedure. Usually, you'll need to get the support of your party's nominating officer before you can become a candidate.

During an election, you'll be expected to campaign in public and online, attend meetings, make speeches and talk to the local media. You'll find it helpful to have some experience in one or more of these areas.

More Information

Career tips

You'll need a good understanding of local and national issues, and keep up to date with current affairs.

The Houses of Parliament offer the following schemes to get involved:

• Parliamentary Academy Scheme
• Speaker's Parliamentary Placement Scheme
• House of Commons Apprenticeship Scheme
• House of Lords Apprenticeship Scheme
• Undergraduate Sandwich Student Placements

Find more information about parliamentary work placements and apprenticeship programmes.

Further information

You can get more advice about becoming an MP from UK Parliament.

You can also find information about working for an MP from Working for an MP (W4MP).

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

• legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
• an understanding of society and culture
• excellent verbal communication skills
• analytical thinking skills
• active listening skills
• the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• persistence and determination
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

• be over 18 years of age
• be a UK, Republic of Ireland or Commonwealth citizen

To stand for election, you'll need to be nominated by at least 10 electors from the constituency you wish to represent. You also need to pay a £500 deposit which you get back if you get more than 5% of the total votes in your constituency.

Some people are not allowed to be an MP, for example someone convicted of electoral fraud. You can find out more from the Electoral Commission.

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As an MP, you'll attend sessions in Parliament to:

• vote on new laws and policies
• raise constituents’ concerns with ministers
• debate issues and ask questions

Outside Parliament, you'll:

• talk to businesses and schools about local, national and international issues
• speak to the media
• attend meetings and conferences
• hold advice sessions in your constituency

Working environment

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and you may spend nights away from home.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

General elections are held every 5 years, so it can take some time to become an elected MP.

With experience, you might get the opportunity to:

• take on extra responsibilities like chairing committees
• move from junior minister to minister, then to cabinet minister if your party is in power
• become a party whip or party leader
• be a spokesperson on certain issues or have responsibilities in a shadow cabinet if your party is in opposition

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for an mp right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Are you interested in becoming an mp?

Search for training courses near you.

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

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